Emergency means for floating ships



Sept. 16, 1924. y 1,508,816

F. Y. NICHOLS ET AL Y EMERGENCY MEANS FOR FLQATING SHIPS Filed Dec. 301920 Patented Sept. 16, 1924.

FREDERICK Y. NICHOLS AND SAEEL R. DRUM, OF CTICLBGG, ILLNOS; SAD SAJIUELR. DRUM ASSGNOR TO WLLIAM HENRY DRUlVi, 0F GRIDLEY, LLINOIS.

EMERGENCY MEANS FOR FLOATXNG SHIPS.

Application filed December S0, 1920. Serial No. 434,116.

To all whom it may conce/Mt:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK Y. NICHOLS and SAMUEL R. DRUM, citizensoi' the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of illinois, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements inEmergency Means for Float ing Ships, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to emergency means for maintaining the buoyancy ofa floating 'vessel or ship that may be damaged.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a means that mayquickly be brought into action to preserve the buoyancy of a damagedship that otherwise would sink.

Another object is to provide a means, as above set forth, that willnormally occupy a elatively small space; that is very light of weight;that is simple in construction and operation and inexpensive to produce.

Another object is to provide a system, as above set forth, that may beused to 'float and recover a sunken ship.

Other, further and more specific objects ot' the invention will becomereadily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration ofthe following description, when taken in conjunction with the drawing.

In the drawing, 5 is a conventional representation of a ship shown incentral section. G represents collapsible, expansible rubber, or otherair receptacles, adapted to be iiiflated by air and capable of expandingei:- tensively and to be readily collapsed when exhausted of the air.These air receptacles may be placed in the hull oi a ship, at con`venient locations, in Staterooms or in other places normally unoccupiedby the cargo.

7 shows an elongated receptacle placed in the hull of the ship and whichmay extend from end to end of the ship, and which resembles, in somedegree, an enlarged hose when inflated, but which will lie ilat whendeflated, and occupy a relatively small space. In a ship there may be aplurality of air receptacles of this character, located at convenientplaces and capable et being readily expanded upon the introduction ofair under pressure.

8 shows an air compressor, adapted to be operated by a special engine 9,preferably located upon the deck of a ship, and prefer` ably this motoror engine should be operated by a locally applied fuel or energy ratherthan the steam generated by the boilers 10, that are located the hull ofa ship, so that in the event that the hull should become filled withwater, the operation of the engine 9 is available, An internalcombustion engine or an electriemotor operated by storage batteries arefair examples of the character ot motor well adapted for the purpose.

11 and 12 represent large tanks that may be kept Afilled with air underpressure, and 13 and le are pipes leading 'from both of the tanks to thevarious receptacles 6 and 7. 15 and 16 are valves that may be opened tgadmit air into the various receptacles 6 and 7, when an emergencyarises. ln such an event the engine 9 may be started and the compressorwill immediately begin to :torce air` thru the pipes 13 and 14 into thevariousv expansible air receptacles. 17 is a stand pipe communicatingwith the air pipes 13 and 1li and covered normally with a cap 18.

1n the event that a ship should sink, a diver has only to remove the capand connect the hose to the pipe when air from above may be pumped intothe various receptacles 6 and 7', and thereby the receptacles willbecome inflated and enlarged, driving the water out of the hull andcausing the ship to rise to the surface.

The air containers, 6 and 7, may be made of relatively thin rubber thatis capable of great expansion. They will not be called upon to withstandvery high pressure because the external pressure and internal pressurewill be substantially equalized by the pressure of the water on theoutside of the receptacles.

In the case of war, where the ships hull has been damaged below thewatereline, the receptacles located in the hull may be intlated andA thehull kept alloat by the means herein disclosed. Other forms oiteXpansible receptacles made of other material than rub` vbei* willundoubtedly be suggested to persons skilled in the art.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is In a ship, a plurality of eXpansible airreceptacles located in various parts of the vessel; an air reservoirlocated at each end of the vessel; means near each reservoir forcontrolling the reservoirs in the event that lle otherresewor-eontrolling means has shp by Whch an dlr concluding hose maybecome inaccessible; pipes cmmeeng the le be Connected to the system.ceptacles and the reservoirs; an air eol'n- In i'esimony whereof wehereunto sel' om 10 presser for charging The l'esevors selec* hands.

5 tively; means for operating said eolnepl'essol independently of thepower means that FREDERCK Y. NCHQLS. dves the ship and means on the deckof the SAMUEL DRUM.

